To scan hidden areas (useful for data recovery):

deCHK is a freeware utility developed by Sascha Presnac to address a very specific and common problem in Windows: the recovery of .CHK files. These files are created by the Windows Check Disk tool (CHKDSK) and its predecessor, SCANDISK, when they encounter and attempt to repair file system corruption. Instead of deleting the damaged data, these system tools convert the lost or corrupt file fragments into a .CHK format and store them in a hidden folder named FOUND.000 (or FOUND.001 , etc.).

This guide will walk you through the process of , understanding its features, and using it to recover your valuable data. What is deCHK v2.1?

Unzip the downloaded folder to a secure location on your computer.

Because it does not require a complex installation environment, deCHK is safe from bundled system malware or adware junk.

Before launching the tool, ensure you have configured your Windows Explorer options to , otherwise the FOUND.000 directory will remain completely invisible.

: Choose to either safely copy files to a new destination or move them directly to clean up space.

Because Dechk is a 16-bit/32-bit DOS utility, you cannot simply double-click it in modern Windows 10 or 11. You must boot into a free DOS environment or use a command prompt with the correct permissions.

Before making significant changes, create a system restore point to ensure you can revert to a previous state if needed.

This generates a CRC-32 checksum and compares it to a .crc file in the same directory.

Select whether you want to copy (recommended) or move the files.

Note on System Files: Version 2.1 restores both executable .exe and library .dll files under a temporary .exe structure. If a restored system tool fails to execute immediately, manually renaming its extension to .dll typically restores functionality. Step-by-Step Recovery Guide

The v2.1 update includes support for approximately 50 formats, including: : .docx , .xlsx , .pptx , .pdf , .odt , .ods . Media : .jpg , .mp4 , .mp3 , .avi , .png , .gif . Archives : .zip , .rar , .7z , .cab .

Toggle between Copy or Move operations. It is highly recommended to select Copy . This preserves the original .chk files in place in case you need to re-run recovery using different algorithmic tools later.